A.M. Vitals: Listeria Outbreak Deaths Total 23, CDC Says

By Katherine Hobson

Two More Deaths Recorded: The CDC says listeria-tainted cantaloupes from a Colorado farm have now sickened at least 116 people, killing 23 of them, CNN reports. The cantaloupes were recalled by Jensen Farms last month, but the infection can take up to two months to produce symptoms, which means the number of cases may continue to grow.

New Agreement: Onyx Pharmaceuticals and Bayer AG have restructured their partnership to specify that Onyx will keep profit-sharing and co-promotion rights to the cancer treatment Nexavar even if the biotech is acquired, the WSJ reports. The agreement between the companies also includes a $160 million payment from Bayer to Onyx, with another possible $15 million in the future, for Japanese royalty rights for Nexavar, the paper says.

Mapping the Plague: Scientists have sequenced the genome of the Yersinia pestis bacterium that caused the Black Death of the 14th century and have discovered it is very similar to the bacterium that causes the plague today, the New York Times reports. Given that genetic similarity, scientists say living conditions in the 1300s were likely responsible for the different symptoms of the disease then compared to now.

Another Reason for Folic Acid: Women are told to take folic acid in pregnancy to cut the risk of neural tube defects; now research from Norway suggests it also protects against severe language delays in children, Reuters reports. An author of the study, which was published in JAMA, says the findings add to the case for taking folic acid — a form of vitamin B — during pregnancy. In the U.S., the nutrient is added to grain products.